


Babies and Birbs

by fichuntie



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Backstory, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Sweetness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-10-01 16:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20338351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fichuntie/pseuds/fichuntie
Summary: The early years of Viren and Harrow's friendship





	1. Chapter 1

Harrow tussles with Viren, giggling at the other boy’s street style of fighting. Viren is the first child to treat harrow as a person instead of a royal. Harrow remembers Opeli’s excessive compliments, courtiers gushing over the false wins knights in training gave him. To be fair, Viren is aware of their different stations- he doesn’t dirty Harrow’s cloak even if he will bite to win a fight. Harrow pushes Viren’s arm behind his back, presses down when Viren spits out insults. 

“Do you yield?” Harrow asks.

“Just give me a second to think,” Viren says, still wiggling.

“Nope!” and Harrow sticks a finger in Viren’s ear.

Viren yelps. “You’re disgusting, Harrow.”

Viren loves Harrow, adores Harrow, eager and pure. Harrow even gets Viren a small job, not quite part of court but close enough that Harrow can wink at him when a lord gets too into their wine at dinner. Viren is grateful but Harrow doesn’t keep track of debts and favors. Harrow and Viren are better together, even the advisors have to admit that Viren’s presence keeps the rambunctious prince on task. 

Viren also sees how other people scrape to their knees around Harrow, how quickly other kids -even adults- are caught in the golden light of Harrow’s personality. Viren also gets a strong reaction but not nearly as positive.

Viren doesn’t get along with the other courtiers, but he does befriend the librarian. She’s also low born, having slowly risen through the ranks so now that’s she’s wrinkled and sun bleached she can wander the library halls. Unlike the courtiers, she knows better than to touch him, doesn’t scold him for gobbling his food so quickly, lets the silence stay between them. If he isn’t trailing after Harrow, he is nose first in a spell book. Viren reads haltingly at first, but Harrow catches him at it and sits to read with him. Harrow had snuck him into the royal library, let him skim his fingers over the sea of book bindings, and then bundled them under a blanket. 

“I’m not a child,” Viren grumbles, but he tucks himself closer to Harrow. Harrow runs warm, sunny in every disposition.

“I’m not going to read a story for a baby,” Harrow says. “That would be boring.”

“Read something with a mage,” Viren says. Only Viren would give the prince an order, but neither he or Harrow even catch the impertinence.

Harrow’s green eyes are skimming over the anthology he’d chosen. 

“This one is good,” Harrow decides. “Mages and knights, one of each of us.”

Viren nods. He tucks his chin over Harrow’s shoulder to see the lustrous cover. The other library books are simple leather, but this one is gilded with complex floral designs. The book looks like it was rescued from a dragon’s hoard, pebbled with gems and gold. 

The librarian finds them hours later. They’re still cuddled together but Harrow has kicked the blanket off of them. Viren’s face is for once entirely relaxed; the boy might even have drooled a little bit on the shoulder of Katolis’ next king. She pauses her nightly routine to be draping a blanket over the two sleeping boys, and she marks the place in their book with a pressed flower. She presses a gentle hand to Viren’s forehead, stroking the overlong length of hair back.


	2. Chapter 2

Viren slowly befriends a few other kids and adults in the palace. The library remains his steadfast home, even as he gains more duties assisting the elderly librarian. Harrow beams at him when he mentions his new friends, grasps Viren’s hand and presses it to his heart. 

“I’m glad, Viren,” Harrow says. “Everyone should recognize how smart you are.”

Viren can feel the bird fast beat of Harrow’s heart, and he smiles back. Harrow remains his favorite, especially when the prince sneaks out of council meetings early to read the long anthology they began months ago. Night after night, Harrow moves them through the pages of myth and magic, his voice deepening with yawns as the two boys cuddle in the crannies of the royal library. Always, Harrow’s voice brings Viren comfort in a way that the other servants and courtiers never do. 

Harrow convinces Viren to sneak out the palace on a horse. Or attempts to. 

“I’m not getting on that thing!” Viren doesn’t stomp his foot. 

“Viren, c’mon.” The crown prince of Katolis doesn’t whine either. 

“No. Absolutely not,” Viren says. 

“Ride with me; it’ll take too long to walk,” Harrow pats the saddle behind him. 

Viren blushes “You won’t let me fall?”

Harrow laughs, as if it would be impossible. “I’d never let my best friend fall.”

Harrow extends a hand down, easily holding the reins with the other. The horse doesn’t even move. Harrow seems to have the animal under good control. Viren eyes the callouses on Harrow’s hands from long hours of practiced riding.

Viren is his best friend. Harrow wouldn’t let him fall. 

So he lets Harrow pull him into the horse. 

“This is very high up,” Viren says. He could prop his chin over Harrow’s shoulder but he doesn’t want to see the ground. Or the bulging strain of the horse under them. Instead, he presses his forehead between the other boy’s shoulders. He can feel the scratch of harrow’s dreds, smell the horse-smell and, under that, a little of the oil Harrow uses on his hair. Without looking, the trot of the horse is almost soothing. Unnerving, but also soothing.

“How much longer is the ride?” Viren nuzzles closer. 

“Not long,” Harrow reassures. He pats Viren’s thigh and returns his attention to the horse trail. Viren can only see the flex of his hands on the reigns. “There’s a place I used to picnic out here, close to what you told me was a nexus.”

“A nexus?!” Viren perks up, and bravely, props his head on Harrow’s shoulder.

“I think, but I’m not the mage, am I?” Harrow laughs, throwing his head back.

The two of them lapse into silence; it’s part of what they like about each other. Harrow is overburdened with complaints, compliments from every noble and peasant who seeks and audience. Viren doesn’t have a lot of patience for wasted time or those who can’t think strategically. The silence does them both good and their occasional chatter is more meaningful for it.

“How did you find out about the nexus?” Viren asks as the horse trots over a grassy field.

“Our evening story mentioned something about a moon fair back when the kingdoms were still united. The librarian helped me find a map when I told her how much you’ve been researching magic,” Harrow said. “We took a while, but we found it. Then I asked the patrolling knights if they’d seen anything unusual around there. They said there were lunar moths, even in winter, and that wolves were so common they had to camp a few miles away.”

Viren nods.

“Those are all signs the moon is strong there,” Viren says. “But it’s hard to believe the elves would leave a nexus abandoned to humans.” 

“You’re right!” Harrow pulls the horse to a stop. “But guess what?”

Viren pulls back a little to catch the spark in Harrow’s eye.

“I’ve got no idea.”

“Your prince is requesting you guess!” Harrow giggles and knocks his elbow at Viren’s stomach.

“Fine, fine. I guess you found some fable and took it for fact.”

“Exactly!” Harrow lets the horse pick up again. “There’s an old folk tale that elves can’t lie, and they gave their word to only come to the nexus to trade with humans on full moons. I haven’t heard of any elf human trade in—”

“Wait, the crown prince is galloping off to a moon nexus with no entourage just because of a folk tale!?!” Viren snags a dred and yanks it. “We have to go back! You’re too precious to take risks like this.”

“I’ve got you, Viren,” Harrow insists. “Besides, these things work out. Princes are meant to have adventures.”

“If the elves don’t kill us, the guard will for running off like this…” Viren grumbles. He tucks his face back against Harrow’s back. It’s not like he will be able to see the moon elves before an ambush. No point dragging out the misery by having to see the horse.

“I’ll protect you.”


End file.
